


Telephone Lines

by LazuliTears



Series: Back and Forth [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Memories, Confessions, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 09:23:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3805177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazuliTears/pseuds/LazuliTears
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'I like you'</p>
<p>They've confessed their feelings a long, long time ago. They just don't remember.</p>
<p>He's hit with a sudden feeling of sentimentality. And then suddenly, he does.</p>
<p>'I like you too'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Telephone Lines

Bicycles rides and catching bugs, eating ice cream and going to the beach.

He can't remember it in vague detail, but they happened. These were memories he idly associated with the summer heat.

They never get to play together as often as they do during the summer. During the other days of the year, they drowned themselves in school and sports. They talked, but never bonded.

But when they do— when they run down the streets chasing each other, or hide behind trash cans hiding from the other while they concealed their own laughter— these were the best days Kei could ever ask for.

He doesn't remember anymore. But it happened. And fragments of said memories still lingers around in his mind sometimes, catching him off guard and making him smile.

There was one memory from his childhood, one that stood out from the rest, one that he remembers vividly but at the same time doesn't. Or rather, he doesn't remember if that was how it went at all. It happened on a day like this one, when everything was bright and warm and glowing under the sun's guidance.

Half of the things that littered Kei's closet should be considered junk by this time and age. Clumps of old clothes that should file under the word 'rug' and pieces of torn papers from old elementary notebooks covered the space of the closet floor. There were old pre-loved toys on the the very top shelf, ones he used to snuggle close to him while he slept as a child and there were ones he hasn't seen since he was in middle school. Kei sighs as he picks up each one of the clutter of memories from the closet, examining them closely to determine which should be thrown out and which should be kept for years to come, until he decides that said object held no more meaning.

A board game, torn to pieces. An old tattered up hoodie that seemed too big at the time but is now too small for his own arm to fit through. An old sketchpad full of crude drawings. Kei puts them in a box that's meant to be thrown out after a second of reminiscence.

An old game cartridge given to him by Akiteru, its name scratched out and indescribable. He's keeping this one.

A couple of tin cans attached with a red string shouldn't have made Kei hesitate so much. With one look, one would write this off as a piece of worn down junk.

But as Kei fiddles with the string, as he tilts the can in every angle, his head fills with small voices, small laughter. And they're coming from the other line.

 

* * *

 

  
_Tadashi's small steps produced no echo as he trotted down the street, but his presence sure was imminent from the clank, clank, clank of the can that trailed behind him. He had a big smile on his round face, growing bigger as he catches sight of his friend from a distance. The way they turned was all so smooth, so cool. It had always baffled him how a child his age produced such a striking aura._  
  
_Said friend takes a few steps towards him as he neared, and they grab hold of one of the cans that hung below Tadashi's hands._  
  
_"Carry them properly, will you?" Their voice was nonchalant, but soft. Tadashi gives him a smile that was equally as soft._  
  
_"Sorry, Tsukki,"_  
  
_He could've sworn that he smiled too, but he wasn't sure, Kei had covered his mouth with the can._  
  
_"Can you hear me?" He speaks, voice ringing inside the metal container._  
  
_Tadashi giggles, takes a step backward and talks into his can as Kei puts his against his ear. "Yes I can,"_  
  
_"Come on," Kei puts his can down for a moment and tugs, urging the other boy along._  
  
_They run around together, steps behind steps of each other and not falling even a short distance until they reach the playground. It was empty as ever, even though it was the middle of the day in the middle of summer._

  


* * *

 

Kei wonders if it still works.

He feels silly for doing it, but no one can judge him while he's seated there on the floor, floating in nostalgia in the confines of his room.

He puts one can on his ear, and the other just below his mouth. He hums a simple 'hello'.

A small laugh bubbles from his throat as he shakes his head. Of course he can hear himself. He's the only one there to talk to.

Kei finishes the rest of cleaning his closet out, putting things in order and dusting out corners. He puts everything back where he found it save for those he needed to throw away.

And his 'telephone' seated on the table by his bed.

 

* * *

 

_"Hello, you have reached the worry hotline," He hears the voice of his friend echoed by closed tin as if they had whispered the very words right to his ear. "Tell me all your problems. Worry hotline is here to help,"_

_He suppresses a giggle with a hand to his mouth before talking back. "Yes, well. I can't find my favorite video game. It's very important,"_

_They make an interested noise. "Have you tried checking under your bed?"_

_"Yes,"_

_"What about your closet?"_

_"It's not there either,"_

_"Maybe it's in your brother's room,"_

_"Hmm, you might be right," Kei hums with a smile. "Thanks, worry hotline,"_

_"No problem, Tsukki," Tadashi couldn't control the laughter anymore._

_"How did you know my name?" Kei circles the tree, at the other side where the freckled boy sat._

_"Sorry!" They say with a beaming smile._

 

* * *

 

Tadashi groans lightly as he stretches his limbs. The programs that they showed during the day were nowhere near as good as the ones he was used to watching during the night. He didn't do anything all day but laze around in Kei's house, but strangely enough, he feels tired.  
  
He feels his eyes drooping low and the warm hum of the summer heat was oddly comfortable for him. He allows himself to drift off.  
  
Before he was able to do so, he feels a hand brush by his side. He opens an eye to find a can propped by the side of his waist. Confused, he raises a brow as his eyes follow the line of string that lead to the back of the sofa.  
  
A mop of blond locks showed clearly by the edge, since he was too tall to keep himself hidden. Tadashi almost wanted to laugh, but he keeps himself quiet with an amused grin instead.  
  
He holds the tin can by his ear, and tugs on the string.

 

* * *

 

_"Hello," the voice started. But their voice sounded strained. Hesitant. "This is worry hotline. Tell me all your problems. I'll listen,"_

_Silence._

_And then a breath._

_"...Why did he have to lie?"_

_They don't know how to answer that one. They're not even sure if words from themselves would bring comfort to him. So they keep silent, in case he wanted to speak his aching heart out._

_And he did._

_"...That was... Pathetic... He didn't have to... I wouldn't have... If he..."_

_His voice wavered with his feelings. Tadashi drops his end of the line and scoots over to his friend._

_He leans his head on Kei's shoulder, a hand on their back._

_If he could take a share of his pain, he would do so in a heartbeat._

 

* * *

 

"This is worry hotline," A voice soft and deep comes from the other line and Tadashi giggles. "You seem like you're having a bad day. Tell us all your problems. We'll listen,"

He stares at the blond nest by the edge of the couch, moving around as they switch from their ear to their mouth.

"I don't have a problem right now," Tadashi hums into the can. "But I am quite bored,"

"Hmm," The other murmurs. "Why don't you watch TV?"

"It's boring,"

"Do your homework then?"

"It's summer vacation," He struggled to keep himself from saying the other's name.

"Call a friend,"

"Isn't that what I'm doing right now?"

They both laugh, soft but otherwise disrupting the peaceful afternoon in a pleasant way.

 

* * *

 

 

 

_He made sure he was at a distance before he started speaking. The string stretched from his spot to another place in the park, the wool going over and under the swings and the slides. He could see the other end of their 'telephone' hidden behind one of the benches._

_"Hello, this is worry hotline," Kei whispers into his tin can. "Tell me all your worries,"_

_It took a while for his recipient to reply. But he waited._

_"I have a secret," the other speaks after a few seconds. "A secret I can't tell even to my best friend,"_

_"Why not?"_

_Another pause. "...Because he might get mad at me,"_

_The voice sounded melancholic. And Kei wishes he could see his face to make sure he was alright. But even he was a man of his word. If Tadashi tells him he would be comfortable telling him something this way, then he'll hold his ground._

_He stood there under the shade of the fresh green leaves when they spoke again. He looks up, tries to see past the foliage that blocked the view of the blinding sun. His heart hammered in his chest when he finally heard— no, felt— their voice. Their voice so soft he could've missed their words, voice so small he could've sworn he would forget them the next day_

_Perhaps that was what they intended._

_Is this what he was feeling at the moment too? Kei tried to make sense of their words_

_But what they said to him, it meant exactly that already. There was no need for any other explanation._

_"...I like you, Tsukki,"_

 

* * *

 

"I like you too,"

Four simple words that made Tadashi's breath stop and his heart skip.

When he looked at the other, they were already staring at him with expectant eyes. Tadashi always thought that they were a lovely shade of gold.  
  
He gives his beloved a smile. For someone as tall and intimidating as him, he had his moments sometimes. Sometimes he was too sappy for both their own good.

It was one memory from Tadashi's childhood, one that stood out from the rest, one that he remembers vividly but at the same time doesn't. Or rather, he doesn't remember if that was how it went at all.

And it happened on a day like this one, when everything was bright and warm and glowing under the sun's guidance.

 

**Author's Note:**

> ohohohoh this is too fluffy for me here have it get it away from me :^)
> 
> taking a break from writing wayward and this popped into my head :))) good day, everyone!


End file.
